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One Reddit user says they ‘almost’ started a fire after their smartwatch strap touched the exposed contacts of their Steam Controller’s charging puck. According to the Redditor, they were charging the smartwatch next to the charging puck and explained that the strap hit the exposed pins at the “exact wrong angle”. This likely caused a short circuit, which, as the Reddit user notes, produced a sizzling sound.
The damage to both the charging puck and Pixel Watch 4 was minimal, as the Redditor quickly figured out that something was awry. They also consider the accident their fault, claiming they hadn’t initially opened a support ticket, although they later contacted Steam’s hardware team. The unlucky user advised others to keep the Steam Controller charging puck separate from metallic objects. While the official manual warns about a possible Steam Controller fire scenario, fellow Redditors expressed concerns about the puck, calling its exposed pins a glaring design flaw and a fire hazard.
Is the Steam Controller a fire risk?
The Steam Controller remains a hot item. Yet, the incident raises important concerns about the safety of both the controller and the charging puck. In the Safety Information section of the manual, Steam warns about the fire risk, advising users to make sure that the controller and charging components are “free of metallic objects before connecting”.
Redditors were quick to support the original poster. Though some acknowledged the warning, they also presented multiple scenarios in which similar things could happen by accident. For instance, having your hand near the charging puck while wearing a watch. Others noted that even if you’re aware of the fire risk, continuously monitoring the charging station is impossible. The manual is clear about the risks, but as users pointed out, not everyone in the household may know how dangerous it is to place metallic objects on the puck.
Because people rarely study user manuals, the lack of basic protections could be a red flag. Some users suggested that the device should implement a “handshake” before powering up the puck’s pins, while others questioned the lack of basic overcurrent protection. It remains to be seen how Valve will respond to this incident, but many Redditors believe that the supposed design flaw could be grounds for a recall.
